Child Protection Officer at FINDEF

Position Summary:

The Child Protection Officer is responsible for developing community-based child protection strategies, enhancing local capacities to prevent and respond to violence against adolescent girls, and collaborating with stakeholders to strengthen protection mechanisms.

 Key Responsibilities:

• Implement child protection strategies tailored to the needs of adolescent girls.
• Strengthen community-based child protection structures to identify, report, respond, and refer cases of abuse and violence.
• Lead capacity-building initiatives for community-based groups, focusing on child protection mechanisms and interventions.
• Support the education team to improve the physical and emotional safety of children, supporting safe learning environments.
• Collaborate with government, NGOs, and community leaders to integrate child protection efforts with wider community development and education initiatives.
• Equip girls and boys in the community with the skills and experiences vital to making balanced, strategic life choices as well as promote the safety, prevention of and response to violence against children in schools and communities.
• Ensure that quality child protection services are provided to the population served by the project.
• Monitor and evaluate the impact of child protection interventions, providing regular reports and insights to improve program effectiveness.
• Participate in child protection programme meetings, including programme development and contingency planning discussions on emergency preparedness in the community or other locations designated, to provide technical and operational information, advice and support.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Psychology, International Development, Social Work or a related field.
• At least 5 years of relevant experience in child protection programs, preferably in Northwest Nigeria or similar contexts.
• Deep understanding of the socio-cultural dynamics affecting child protection and gender-based violence in the target regions.
• Proven ability to develop and facilitate training and capacity-building programs.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and writing skills.
• Fluency in English and Hausa, with proficiency in local languages considered a strong asset.